Determinants of prognosis and management of patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease: a systematic review

Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with left heart disease usually have a complex comorbidity status and a postcapillary component of PH. The presence and identification of a combined post-/precapillary PH in a cohort of patients with left heart disease is reflected in the more pronounced structural and functional right ventricular changes due to higher pulmonary vascular resistance. Patients with combined post-/ precapillary PH have reduced exercise tolerance and PH phenotype similar to pulmonary arterial hypertension. Detection of combined PH is critical as it may influence the prognosis and management of patients. This review presents modern prognosis markers for patients with PH due to left heart disease, which can be used in clinical practice. The results of randomized clinical trials and pilot studies on the expansion of treatment options in group 2 patients, including the use of PAH-specific agents, were analyzed. The prospects for the treatment of this cohort of patients are discussed

First Results of the Phase II SIMPLE Dark Matter Search

We report results of a 14.1 kgd measurement with 15 superheated droplet detectors of total active mass 0.208 kg, comprising the first stage of a 30 kgd Phase II experiment. In combination with the results of the neutron-spin sensitive XENON10 experiment, these results yield a limit of |a_p| < 0.32 for M_W = 50 GeV/c2 on the spin-dependent sector of weakly interacting massive particle-nucleus interactions with a 50% reduction in the previously allowed region of the phase space formerly defined by XENON, KIMS and PICASSO. In the spin-independent sector, a limit of 2.3x10-5 pb at M_W = 45 GeV/c2 is obtained.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; PRL-accepted version with corrected SI contour (Fig. 4

Prospects for SIMPLE 2000: A large-mass, low-background Superheated Droplet Detector for WIMP searches

SIMPLE 2000 (Superheated Instrument for Massive ParticLE searches) will consist of an array of eight to sixteen large active mass ($\sim15$ g) Superheated Droplet Detectors(SDDs) to be installed in the new underground laboratory of Rustrel-Pays d'Apt. Several factors make of SDDs an attractive approach for the detection of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), namely their intrinsic insensitivity to minimum ionizing particles, high fluorine content, low cost and operation near ambient pressure and temperature. We comment here on the fabrication, calibration and already-competitive first limits from SIMPLE prototype SDDs, as well as on the expected immediate increase in sensitivity of the program, which aims at an exposure of $>$25 kg-day during the year 2000. The ability of modest-mass fluorine-rich detectors to explore regions of neutralino parameter space beyond the reach of the most ambitious cryogenic projects is pointed out.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures included. New Journal of Physics, in pres

First Dark Matter Limits from a Large-Mass, Low-Background Superheated Droplet Detector

We report on the fabrication aspects and calibration of the first large active mass ($\sim15$ g) modules of SIMPLE, a search for particle dark matter using Superheated Droplet Detectors (SDDs). While still limited by the statistical uncertainty of the small data sample on hand, the first weeks of operation in the new underground laboratory of Rustrel-Pays d'Apt already provide a sensitivity to axially-coupled Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) competitive with leading experiments, confirming SDDs as a convenient, low-cost alternative for WIMP detection.Comment: Final version, Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press

The influence of antyhypertensive therapy of valsartan and fixed combination with hydrochlorothiazide use on pulse-wave velocity and central arterial pressure in patients with arterial hypertension of 1-2 grades in international VICTORY clinical trial

Objective - to explore influence of valsartan monotherapy use and its use in combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and central arterial pressure (CAP) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) of 1-2 grades in international VICTORY clinical trial. Materials and methods. The international multicenter prospective randomized clinical study VICTORY that lasted for 16 weeks included patients with 1-2 grades AH. In patients who previously received antihypertensive therapy a 7 days washout period was carried out. All patients started their therapy with 80 mg valsartan (Valsacor®, KRKA, Slovenia); in Russia the starter dose of Valsacor®, KRKA was 160 mg in previously treated patients that did not influence the study results. If after 4 weeks of treatment BP was more than 140/90 mm hg (more than 130/80 mm hg in high risk patients or in diabetes mellitus patients) the dose of valsartan was increased to 160 mg (320 mg in Russia) or diuretic in fixed combination with valsartan was added (160 mg valsartan/12.5 mg HCTZ): Valsacor® H 160 (KRKA, Slovenia). If target BP after 8 weeks of treatment was not reached valsartan dose was increased to 320 mg or fixed combination of valsartan and diuretic (160 mg/12.5 mg) was used. If target BP after 12 weeks of treatment was not reached - valsartan and diuretic 320 mg/12.5 mg were used. PWV and CAP (SphygmoCor®, AtCorMedical) were assessed at baseline and after 16 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoints were assessment of the impact of studied medications on aortic stiffness, aortic augmentation index and comparison of absolute medians of reached central and peripheral BP reduction with baseline value. Results. Of 365 patients included in the study 74 were included in PWV and CAP study subgroup. Valsartan and its combination with HCTZ were effective in CBP reduction. The mean absolute reduction of central systolic and diastolic BP after 16 weeks of treatment was 19.7±12.9 mm hg and 13.9±8.5 mm hg, respectively (

Canagliflozin and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes and Nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to 300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m 2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049